Assistant Manager - Bread Production

About us:

The Bread Factory is London's leading Artisan Bakery, known for award-winning breads, pastries, and cakes, supplying top-quality products across e-commerce, grocery, food services, and retailers such as our GAIL's Bakeries nationwide. As our teams grow, we are seeking our next Assistant Manager to join our team.

Every day is different at The Bread Factory, but here are some of the things you will be doing:

• Support the Unit Manager in forecasting production volumes and developing efficient production plans to meet daily and weekly requirements. Help adjust plans as needed to ensure on-time delivery while maintaining quality standards.
• Assist in ensuring all production meets world-class quality standards by supporting new product development (NPD) initiatives. Work collaboratively with R&D and the wider team to help align new products with company expectations and consumer preferences.
• Support the implementation of organisational and operational changes in line with company policies and standards, ensuring smooth transitions with minimal disruption.
• Work closely with operations, technical, and maintenance teams to identify and resolve issues promptly. Contribute to troubleshooting and continuous improvement initiatives across production processes.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with Customer Care, Sales, and People Teams to ensure clear communication and a joined-up approach to achieving business goals.
• Assist in coordinating and contributing to production meetings, helping review performance, address challenges, and support the delivery of team objectives.
• Support the monitoring of product quality through regular checks, client feedback, and complaint handling. Help ensure quality metrics are met and escalate issues where necessary.
• Assist with Employee Relations matters within the unit, including supporting investigations, disciplinary processes, and conflict resolution in line with company policies and legal requirements.
• Help ensure Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) standards are maintained and support the achievement of Food Safety Accreditation (BRC grade). Promote food safety best practices within the team.
• Support rota planning, labour cost control, and staffing optimisation to meet production demands efficiently while staying within budget.
• Ensure awareness and adherence to company policies and procedures across the team, particularly regarding employee management and compliance.
• Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement by identifying opportunities to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and improve processes.
• Promote and uphold food safety, health, and safety standards, leading by example and encouraging a safe and compliant working environment.

Our team tells us you will be a great addition if you have:

• A strong team player with leadership potential, able to support and motivate others to achieve high performance.
• Passionate about baking, with good knowledge of techniques, processes, and product quality.
• Strong interpersonal and people management skills, with the ability to support training and development of team members.
• Computer literate, with a working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook) and the ability to support operational reporting.
• Proactive and solution-focused, with a willingness to suggest improvements and support operational efficiency.
• A positive role model with a professional attitude and strong work ethic.
• Able to prioritise tasks and support team performance effectively in a fast-paced environment.

What's in it for you:

• Fresh bread daily to take home to enjoy with family and friends.
• 50% discount at GAIL's and 40% off at The Bread Factory & The Flour Station Markets.
• 33 days holiday
• Discounts and Savings from high-street retailers and restaurants
• 24-hour GP service
• Cycle to work scheme

Our Values:

We care about Job Well Done:

Since 1993, we have been champions in traditional baking with the finest ingredients and techniques. We always do things the right way, not the easy way.

We care about Baking:

At The Bread Factory all our teams take pride in crafting beautiful, freshly baked loaves, pastries, and cakes. We are all passionate about our products and share knowledge among us all.

We care about each other:

We always act with respect, empathy, and support to our employees, neighbours and customers.

We care about community:

We believe in minimising unsustainable practices and reducing waste. Whilst ensuring we continue to provide everyone with nutritious, high-quality food.

We care about nature:

We're committed to sustainability across our supply chain-from reducing waste and reusing surplus to supporting regenerative farming that helps restore the planet.